Medicine
by ANewWorld
Summary: When Clara Oswald, An english teacher at Great Intelligence Academy meets John Smith, the school nurse, she just can't get him off of her mind. Whouffle Teacher AU. Includes occasional appearances from the ponds, Martha and Mickey and maybe some classic characters.
1. Chapter 1

The first day at a new job is always daunting, and very strange, as Clara Oswald was about to discover. She stood beneath the huge sign of the Great Intelligence Academy, nervous about starting her career as a full-time English teacher.

Up until this point, she had been excited to start her new job due to the fun she'd had in her time as a substitute teacher in Blackpool. However, as she stood in front of the old and famous Academy, which had yielded such influential people as Former Prime-Minister Harriet Jones and the War Hero Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge Stewart, she felt a huge surge of anxiety sweep over her.

Overcoming her fear and stepping inside, she was first taken aback by the huge gust of air from a Ceiling Fan above the entrance. She was grateful for this, as it was a very hot day and she had worked up a sweat carrying her heavy bag to work. She walked forwards slowly, taking in the environment around her. She figured she was very early, as there were little to no children around. But of course there was always the chance that she was late and everyone was already in their classrooms. Even when she was a child, she had always worried about this when she entered school and it was quieter than usual.

The Design of the building was a strange hybrid of Old and New. The Walls were Sterile white, but Silk Banners and Oil Paintings hung from them. The desks at reception were Dark wood, but they held new and shiny Monitors. Large Glass doors led from the reception area to the Dining Agora, which looked bigger than it did on the school's website. Although it was not what Clara expected, she felt strangely comfortable there. Lost in thought, Clara was brought back to earth by the voice of a receptionist.

"Hello miss, can I help you?" The woman asked in a polite but fake tone of voice.

"Yes, I'm Clara Oswald, the new English teacher starting today." She Replied Quietly.

The Receptionist looked at a clipboard for a few seconds and then looked back up with a fake smile plastered on her face. She instructed Clara to wait on the Sofas for the Head Teacher to meet with her.

When the Head Teacher finally arrived, Clara was intimidated by his appearance. Mr Finch was tall with thinning hair but a facial expression that drilled into her very soul. He Silently Gestured for her to follow him, and she quickly stood up and did so. The majority of the walk from the Reception to her classroom was awkward, as not a single word was exchanged between the two people.

On the way to the Literacy Department, Mr Finch finally spoke to Clara.

"I trust you have prepared your lesson plans for the week, and have a copy with you?" He Grumbled without turning his head or even changing his facial expression.

"Um... Yes sir, it's in my Bag, along with my Timetable. Is there anything else I need?" Clara Asked him while rummaging through her satchel.

Stopping at a door, Mr. Finch turned to her and handed her a Card.

"This is your key to the school, your room and it holds your lunch balance. All the other Resources you need are inside the room. Your first class should arrive in Ten Minutes, so you have time to organise yourself." Finch Said, looking at his watch

Clara took the key as Mr. Finch walked away silently in the opposite direction. Momentarily stunned by the Head Teacher's cold Personality, she turned to her door, marked 'English 3', unlocked it and marched right in.

She instantly noticed the layout of the tables. She made a mental note to reorganise them in the future to more suit her preferences. She felt a wave of Confidence blow through her as she prepared for her lesson.

* * *

As her First class of the day entered, Clara stood at the front of the classroom looking awkward. She was terrified until she realised that this was the top class in year 9. This piece of information provided comfort to her as she believed the lesson would go smoothly. Once everyone was settled down, she mustered up the strength to address her class.

"Right then, first of all i'd like to introduce myself. I'm Miss Oswald, but i can't stand all that formal stuff, so you can all call me Clara. As you know, Mr. Tennant Has left the school, so I'll be replacing him as your English teacher. Now then, according to my notes you've read Great Expectations, and are just beginning To Analyse the characters, correct?" She boomed much more confidently than she had expected. A low mumble of 'yes' came from the class.

"Um, well, good, because i've read that book so many times that i can't go wrong..." Clara Mumbled as she took the book from her bag.

Everything was going to plan.

* * *

Naturally, something had to go wrong somewhere. This time, it came in the form of a student who, after standing up, promptly tumbled over and hit the ground. After quickly getting up and trying to maintain his dignity, he had to lean onto his table to support himself.

"Um.. Everything ok? Did you hurt yourself at all?" Asked Clara in a slightly panicked voice. The boy looked up at her.

"No, just...Very Dizzy. All the time." He replied, slurring.

Clara looked very worried for a split second before deciding what to do about the situation.

"Well, i'll take you down to see the nurse..." She said, Walking towards the door.

Despite his protests, Clara insisted that they go to see the nurse. However, as Clara didn't know where the nurse was, The boy led the way.

* * *

They arrived at the Nurse's Door, which read "Dr. John Smith, School Nurse", and Clara opened it hesitantly. What she saw inside was a big surprise to her.  
There, sat with his back to them, was John smith, who appeared to be hitting a piece of plastic very angrily with a book. Clara cleared her throat to get the man's attention, and as he turned around she was surprised even further.

The man was wearing a dark purple jacket with a waistcoat. A bit odd, sure, but not too much. Then she noticed the other oddities.

Around his neck was a dark purple bow-tie with white spots, and on his face he wore a black pair of goggles. She wondered if this man passed checks to work in a school.

"Yes, what, who, why, oh, you, come in, sit down!" John Blurted out quickly.

The boy sat down on a chair opposite John.

"You. Are you the new English teacher? Claire or something, right? I'm terrible with names, just look at mine!" The Eccentric man Whispered awkwardly.

"Yes, I'm Um... Clara. Clara Oswald. And you are...?" She Replied.

"John, John smith, i'm the nurse.. well, of course i am, why else would you be here? But people call me the doctor. I don't know why. I call me the doctor too. Still don't know why. I'm a nurse, not a doctor, it's silly really, but what can you do about the names you are given, eh?" The Doctor Replied without taking a breath. "Now, Ben, what's the matter?"

Clara couldn't comprehend this man. The clothes and the way he spoke were almost alien, but she couldn't help but find him hilarious. Kind of cute, too...  
She snapped out of her thoughts to see that The Doctor was removing a blood pressure monitor from the boy's arm. How long had she been lost in her mind?

"Well, Ben..." The doctor began, his face suddenly turning serious. "You seem to have Orthostatic Hypotension."

"Um... What does that mean?" Clara asked nervously from the side.

The doctor suddenly smiled. "Oh, it's nothing really, just low blood pressure caused by standing up, probably just a Vitamin B12 Deficiency. Just eat more Dairy products as well as meat and fish." He rambled while writing something onto a piece of paper. "Don't stand up too fast, either."

* * *

As they made their way back to the classroom, Clara couldn't help but wonder about that man, mainly how odd he was, but also how nobody seems phased by him. She assumed he's been there for a long time. But even his name was strange. John Smith? Nobody is called John Smith... And what was this whole "The Doctor" thing about? She made a note to ask the other staff when she met them.


	2. Chapter 2

**I'd like to just encourage some people to leave reviews with constructive criticism, as that would really help me to improve my writing. The Third chapter will be up Within a few hours of me writing this note, and it will be from The Doctor's Perspective. Thanks for Reading, And please leave reviews!**

* * *

After teaching 3 Classes, it was finally lunchtime. Clara had opted to eat her lunch in the staff room so that she could meet the other staff and maybe, if she was lucky, meet The Doctor again. Ever since she entered his office, she couldn't stop thinking about him for some reason. The bow-tie, The goggles, his hair... everything about him was insane. But now all that Clara could think about was eating her sandwich.

"So clara, " Began Craig Owens, the ICT Teacher, "What experience do you have in teaching?"

Clara Looked into her teacup. "Well, I haven't actually done full-time teaching before... I worked as a substitute in Blackpool for a while. I stopped for a few years because I promised to look after the children of a family friend after she died, but they hired a professional nanny, so I decided to find a new teaching job."

Just as she finished her sentence, she heard the door open behind her. Hopeful that it would be the doctor, she turned around only to see Mr. Finch standing in the doorway. Once he was out of earshot, Clara leaned in to Craig.

"What's up with the headmaster? He seems so... cold. Has he always been like that?" She Inquired.

"No, not always" Said Craig, "He used to be a normal bloke. But not long ago, he was diagnosed with a Terminal Brain Tumour. Naturally, being told you don't have long to live puts a wet squib on your personality."

Clara had a look of sympathy on her face at the thought of this. She felt bad for judging him so Quickly.

Just then, the door opened again and this time, sure enough, it was The Doctor.

Wait. She was calling him the doctor, even in her mind? Why? Why didn't she just use his real name? Maybe because it's Rubbish...

"Hi Doctor!" Beamed Clara and Craig at the same time.

The doctor Waved at them, and continued on to make himself a cup of tea.

"Him too, he's a strange one. Tell me about him." Clara Whispered.

Craig shook his head. "I don't know anything, really. Apart from his name and his job, he's a mystery. Of course, we only ever really see him in here, and we never have anything to talk about as he only teaches the occasional health class every now and again."

Clara Ran this through her mind and found herself even more confused than before. By the fact that he had a nickname and the staff used it, he must have been here a while, and yet they know nothing about him? She decided in a split second to speak to him, but before she could get up or even call for him, he was already heading for her.

"Craig, can I borrow your phone?" He asked after sitting down beside Clara. "I need to send a text to someone, but mine kept ringing so I obliterated the infernal contraption."

She didn't know why, but there was something about sitting next to him that made her feel extremely nervous. Maybe it was because she didn't know what he was going to do or say next? Yes, that had to be it..

"Sorry Doctor, my battery's flat." Responded Craig, prompting a disappointed look from the doctor.

Clara pulled her mobile from her pocket. "Here, you can use mine" She Said.

The Doctor looked around at her and beamed. "Thanks!" He Bellowed, taking it from her and quickly sending a message before handing it back to her.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small white paper bag.

"Would you like a jelly baby?" He asked both Clara and Craig, who both accepted, of course.

Clara was surprised by this. "You bring jelly babies to work in a paper bag and you wear a bow tie... Are you sure you passed the medical checks for this job?" She joked.

"Oi, bow ties are cool!" The doctor Argued, Straightening his.

* * *

As Clara packed her bags to prepare to go home, her mind went back to the doctor. It had been Three hours since they had spoken briefly in the staff room. She even looked at the text he had sent, which confused her even more. It simply said 'No, Get the pink ones, The white ones are Chemically Inferior, you fool.'

And of course she had to bump into him again. Only this time, she literally bumped into him while going around a corner.

"Oh, god, I'm so sorry Doctor!" Blurted Clara.

"It's fine, don't worry. Are you OK?" Asked the Doctor.

"Yes, I'm fine... So sorry! But anyway, I'm in a bit of a rush to catch a bus at the moment, so I'll see you tomorrow!" Clara Rushed.

The doctor faked a Horrified gasp. "The bus?! Oh no, no, no! I'll drive you home, i have nothing else to do..."

While He did not put this across in the best way, Clara couldn't resist a free lift home.

* * *

The drive from the academy to Clara's house was long, but Clara finally managed to have a conversation with John.

"So why do people call you the doctor if you're a nurse?" She inquired.

Looking ahead, the doctor thought for a moment.

"I have absolutely no idea. I suppose it just sounds better... The Nurse is not a great nickname..." He rambled.

Clara Giggled quietly. "I see... How did you end up getting a job as a school nurse?"

"Well i have the qualifications... In fact, i have enough qualifications to work in a hospital, but I prefer the environment of a school for some reason. I've always had a passion for Learning, so i like to work where most of it occurs." He Replied.

After that, they went quiet for the rest of the journey apart from work related questions. But again, Clara couldn't concentrate. By this point it was clear to her. She had no idea why, but after only knowing this man for a few hours, she fancied him. She tried to tell herself that she didn't but she did and she couldn't help it. Perhaps it was the mystery, the not knowing that made him so interesting.

"Here we are, then, miss Oswald." The doctor said in a posh voice.

Clara Thanked The Doctor and got out of his car. "I'll see you tomorrow then, Doctor!"

After a last wave goodbye as he drove off, she went inside and was greeted by a gust of warm air. She began to get comfortable, and as she took her coat off, A scrap of paper fell out of the pocket. She went down to pick it up and as she unfolded it, she saw a Number.

Clara smirked. "The cheeky boy."


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry that this chapter is a lot shorter than usual, it just felt like i had to end it where i did. Again, i'd really appreciate your reviews and any suggestions you have are welcome!**

* * *

t was a daring move. He hoped that it would work without conflict, but he couldn't be sure. After considering it for such a long time, he finally did it...

"Rubbish! Timey isn't a word, Doctor, you can't have that..." Yelled Rory.

The Doctor and Rory went to medical school together, the only difference between their two careers being that Rory worked at a hospital while the doctor chose to become a school nurse, a decision which still puzzled Rory to this very day.

The doctor also became fast friends with Rory's Wife Amy, who had been Rory's best friend throughout childhood. So, here were three best friends, sat down playing scrabble, arguing over the validity of words.

The Doctor frowned. "I Resent that, Mr Pond!" He Cried. "Timey, as in Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey, it means... well, it means..."

The Doctor rolled his eyes and swiftly removed his letters from the board.

"So John, how's work?" Inquired Amy, reorganising her letters.

Amy was one of the only people who still called him John. It annoyed him, but he put up with it.

"Uh, fine, yeah..." He grumbled unconvincingly

Amy and Rory looked at each-other. They knew The Doctor, and they could read him like a book.

"Ugh, fine... I'm worried that the new English teacher fancies me..." He Said

The Ponds were puzzled. "Why is that a bad thing?" Asked Amy.

"Well you know what happened last time... It really didn't end well for River..." Said the doctor, a look of sadness washing over his face.

"But what do you think about Her?" Rory Prodded.

"You know how slow I am to trust people, but I did something really stupid..." John said Looking guilty.

Amy and Rory narrowed their eyes at him.

"I, um... Slipped my number into her pocket... Just to, you know... make her feel better about it..." He continued.

Amy was Puzzled. "All this after only knowing her for one day?"

"Wait, doctor, you said earlier that you destroyed your phone..." Said Rory.

"One of them, yes... I do have more." The doctor Replied. "I got bored one day and just bought 6 phones, I have no idea how I afforded that, but oh well, I do things like that sometimes."

Just then, he heard ringing from his bedroom. He instantly broke up inside.

"What will I say to her to explain myself? What if she's angry? What if..." Fretted John.

"Shut up and answer the phone, raggedy man!" Yelled Amy, clearly annoyed.

As he entered his bedroom and saw his phone, he was running a hundred lies through his head. When he finally picked up the phone and answered it, he had no idea what he was going to say.

"Sneaky move with your phone number, Doctor." Giggled a voice from the Phone.

"Well, I thought..." He quickly came up with something to say. "I thought you seemed like a fun person to hang out with..."

"John, I'm an English teacher, fun isn't in the job description. Is there something else on your mind?" Clara Teased.

The doctor could almost see the cheeky smirk on her face, turning him bright red. "Oh, shut up!" He protested.

"To hell with it, I have nothing else to do, and I have some things to ask you... Pub after school tomorrow?" Clara asked nervously.

Although the doctor was taken aback by this, he concluded that he too had nothing to do and accepted.

* * *

"OK, so each of you take a copy of the book to do your homework, and make sure it's in by Thursday!" Clara said to her last class of the day.

She was very nervous about going to the pub with The Doctor, but she had been the one to suggest it, and there was no going back now. She knew he was waiting for her in the car-park, ready to drive them to the pub. Clara did have a drivers license, but not a vehicle of any kind at the moment, so she decided that at least one of them had to stay sober to drive them home. She still knew little to nothing about the doctor, and it was the same vice versa. She hoped that this outing would go exactly to plan, but when did anything ever go as planned? As Clara left the building and saw the doctor waiting for her by his car, she had no idea what was in store.


	4. Chapter 4

**I attempted to leave this on a cliffhanger, but my writing skills leave much to be desired. Again, this chapter is pretty short, But it provides important back-stories. I promise to make the next chapter longer. Please leave Reviews, and any criticisms you have will help me a lot!**

* * *

"Clara!" Beamed the doctor. "How was your day?"

"Hectic, to say the least. What about yours?" Clara Asked.

The doctor just shrugged and opened his car door for Clara before getting in the driver's seat. Both Clara and The Doctor knew that they would have to take it easy on the drinks as they both had work in the morning as usual. Neither of them were usually heavy drinkers, but it's never hard to get carried away.

"So, tell me about the average day as a school nurse" Said Clara.

The Doctor looked thoughtful. "Well, on Wednesdays and Fridays I teach health classes, but apart from that I spend most of my time in my office either doing paperwork or just sitting around trying to occupy myself. People hardly ever seem to need me, but I still get paid." He Replied.

"What's the money like for that?" She Prodded.

"Not as bad as you'd expect, but not very good either. I can afford a flat in the city centre, about a ten minute drive from work. What about you? I imagine teaching is more beneficial." Rambled the Doctor.

"It's a lot better than when I was a substitute, But it's expensive to live in London now." Clara responded.

The last few minutes of the journey passed in a comfortable silence until The Doctor parked his car outside of a pub that Clara had never seen before. When she commented on this, He simply said:

"Oh, you'll love it, the atmosphere is great, and they have Jammie Dodgers!"

On the journey it had started to rain heavily, so they made their way carefully up the slippery steps to the pub door. As soon as they stepped inside, Clara was met by a huge contrast in temperature which nearly knocked her back. They navigated their way through the crowds to the bar where they ordered their drinks. Clara had a huge glass of orange juice while The Doctor had a substantially smaller glass of lemonade.

"Honestly, you think that a girl your size can even fit that much liquid inside of yourself?" Asked The Doctor, bewildered.

"Just you watch me" She Replied with a sharp and playful tone.

He watched in horror as Clara downed her huge glass without even taking a breath.

"Thank God you're not drinking alcohol, that's all I can say..." He muttered under his breath.

"So.. 'Doctor'...How long have you worked at GI?"

The Doctor looked up. "4 years. I worked as a GP before I..."

The doctor stopped talking, a sudden glint of understanding on his face.

"What, what's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing, just... I'm such an idiot. I only just realised that that's why people call me the doctor. When I was a GP a few of the teachers were my patients, so I guess that when I switched my job it just stuck..."

"Wait, so you worked as a GP? What made you decide to become a School Nurse?"

"The last Nurse had left, so the school asked the head of our Surgery to send them anyone who was willing to take up the post. I have no idea why they asked a small surgery instead of what they usually do... I suppose they would trust their nurse more. Anyway, I volunteered because I thought it would be an interesting experience. In the end, I decided that I preferred the environment, so I stayed."

Clara was happy that she now had some exposition on this mysterious man, but felt that she wasn't contributing enough to the conversation.

"I always wanted to teach," She Began. "But not as much as I wanted to travel. I'd taken a break from my job as a substitute to organise a trip. I came down to stay with a friend for a week before I left, and in that week..."

The Doctor could see the sadness in her eyes, but gave her time to continue.

"In that week, she died. So I ended up looking after her children while their dad worked. I'm saving up enough money, because one day I'm still going on that trip."

"But you don't run out on the people you care about. I wish I was like that." Replied the Doctor.

* * *

As the Doctor and Clara drove home, the rain was still pouring. They were both tired, even though they had only been sitting and drinking. So naturally, when another car skidded in front of them, The Doctor's natural response was to twist the wheel as sharply as he could. The next thing he remembered was fumbling around to find his phone, and seeing the light slip from Clara's eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

**Some big story developments in this chapter. Please leave your reviews and any constructive criticism that you have is greatly appreciated!**

* * *

It was his fault. He didn't know how, but he knew that it was. Maybe he wasn't concentrating properly. As The Doctor sat by the hospital bed, all that was going through his mind was guilt. Guilt for what had happened.

Luckily, nobody was hurt too badly. The Doctor had just a few cuts and bruises thanks to the air bag deploying at the correct time. However, Clara was not so lucky, coming out with a broken leg and some mild concussion. The Doctor had assessed this before the ambulance had even arrived at the scene. He knew that nobody in the other car was seriously hurt either, but he was driving Clara home. She was under his protection.

He needed caffeine. There was no doubt that neither of them could work today. He had already called in and informed Mr. Finch of the situation, who had given John and Clara all the time they needed to recover. He got up and headed to get some coffee to keep himself awake.

The Doctor never drank coffee. He preferred tea, but tea just wouldn't keep him awake.

As he sat with his coffee and the Jammie Dodgers he kept in his coat pocket for emergencies, he tried to remember exactly what had happened the night before.

They went to the pub, had non-alcoholic drinks and spoke for a while. Pretty normal. They were driving home, and about five minutes in everything was a blur. He remembered that he instinctively swerved to avoid another car, and skidded right off of the road into a tree... Smart move. The next thing he remembered was checking Clara was OK before calling an ambulance.

At least he knew everyone was OK.

* * *

When The Doctor arrived back, Clara was wide awake, chatting with a nurse. He stopped dead in his tracks.

How was he going to explain what happened? Deciding that it was best to simply get it over with, he opened the door and stepped inside.

Clara laughed when she saw him. "Hi, clumsy! Where have you been?" She Beamed.

"Went for Coffee... How are you feeling?"

"Sore. How about you?"

"Um... Yeah, same.. Aren't you going to rip me to shreds and eat me or something like that?"

She pretended to consider this. "Well, no, because some cheeky sod thought it would be a good idea to slow down in front of you. If you hadn't swerved they'd have been hurt too, so all is good."

"Well, not quite... You can't go to work for weeks until it heals. The Nurses say you need to stay at home."

"Well, that's fine as long as I can find something to do. I used to have a flatmate to occupy me when I was ill, but now all I have is piles of books to read."

"Yeah, I used to have a flatmate, Rory. We went to medical school together, but he got married and moved out. Because of my terribly paid job, I've put up adverts for a lodger to help out with paying the rent, but nobody's applying. I'm thinking of going back to the surgery so that I can afford to pay it."

"But you said you love your job at the school..."

The Doctor Sighed. "Yes, but I don't seem to have a choice."

Clara thought for a moment.

"I'll do it." She said simply.

The Doctor was confused. "You'll do what?"

"I'll be your lodger. Think about it, I get paid a lot more than you do, so I could pay off some of your share too."

"You'd do that, after I put you in hospital? No, it's fine Clara, I can go back to the surgery."

"I'm offering to help you. Plus it would be beneficial to me, as it's closer to the school. I'm throwing you a rope, just take it. I owe you. After all, we never would have crashed if I hadn't asked you to the pub."

The Doctor thought this through. He Couldn't say no, as she was right, it would help both of them greatly, but he had put her in hospital... so maybe he had to make it up to her.

* * *

After being Discharged with the recommendation of 6-8 weeks of 'taking it easy', Clara paid off the last round of rent for her own flat, in preparation to moving into the doctor's second bedroom. She was doing this to help him, but a part of her thought that she had only offered so that she could get closer to him. She shook this off.

The Doctor was helping her to pack some of her things to move out. Well, really he was doing it for her, as she sat down advising him.

His friend Mickey was helping them carry her stuff, as the doctor's car was trashed beyond repair and taxis were expensive in that part of London.

Mickey was married to another of John's friends from medical school, Martha Jones, who worked in the same hospital as Rory.

When they were in mickey's car, The Doctor turned to Clara.

"Make sure you have enough entertainment. I have to be back at work next Wednesday. Feel free to invite some friends to keep you company."

Clara assured him that she would be fine, but asked him to bring her some things from her classroom. The Doctor argued that she shouldn't be marking work, but she insisted.

* * *

The Doctor's flat was not at all how Clara expected it to be. She expected huge amounts of clutter and mess, but it was the complete opposite. Everything was spotless, and she wondered how such an eccentric man could keep up such organisation. She also found that her room was bigger than she anticipated, with more than enough room for her valuables. It was a nice change from her old flat, which was damp, cold and falling to pieces.

Oh yes. This could be very nice.


	6. Chapter 6

**More important story developments in this one, and another cliffhanger at the end. Please leave reviews and tell me how i can improve future chapters! Thanks for all of your support so far. I intend to make this series last a lot longer. Enjoy!**

* * *

Clara looked at her watch. The Doctor should be back in about 5 minutes.

It had been a week since became the doctor's new flatmate. He was back at work now, and Clara had taken her time to read some books. Unfortunately, she had finished the three that she brought with her. She made a mental note to buy some new ones.

Lost in thought, Clara was surprised by a knock on the door. Picking up her crutches and going to the door, she wondered if the doctor had forgotten his key again.

When She opened the door, she was met not by the doctor, but by a man with a distinctive nose.

"Um, hi... Clara, isn't it? Sorry, but, is John home yet?" He asked.

"It depends who's asking..."

The man laughed. "Sorry. I'm Rory, a friend of the doctor's. I was hoping to see him here. I'll come back later"

"No, he'll be back in a few minutes, come in."

As Rory walked in, he instantly noticed the book on the table.

"Amelia Williams?" He asked with a smile.

"Yeah, I've read three of her books. You heard of her?"

Rory Turned to her.

"Of course I have. She's my wife!"

Clara's jaw visibly hit the ground. She was amazed by her fortune. Her Friend who she met at work went to medical school with the husband of her favourite author. This meant... Maybe Clara could meet her.

"So, you been keeping the doctor under control?" Asked Rory.

At that, the door opened and in walked a soaking wet Doctor.

"Rory!" He instantly yelled. "I see you've met Clara! Good, now, what can I do for you?"

"Well, me and Amy have just been sitting around doing nothing, so we were just wondering if you wanted to come round for dinner at the weekend. Both of you."

Clara's jaw dropped even more.

"Dinner with... Amelia Williams?" She asked breathlessly.

"Contain your screams, Clara. Yes, Rory, we'd love to. Any details yet?" Said the doctor.

"I'll text you soon. Anyway, I have to go to the book store to pick up a copy of Amy's new book."

Before he could even finished his sentence, Clara had interrupted him.

"New book?"

"Yes, released today."

Clara beamed. "I'll add that to my shopping list, then. What's it called?"

"Come with me if you want, I can drive you there and back, it's no trouble."

The Doctor poked his head around the corner.

"Some fresh air will do you the world of good, Clara." He said as he casually fell onto the floor.

"Bloody idiot..." She murmured as she picked up her bag.

Rory was the one to break the silence during the journey.

* * *

"So, what's the doctor like to live with? I dread to think."

"Not as...messy as you would think, actually. He likes to shout at the telly, though."

"Hm... So, are you two..."

Clara interrupted him before he could finish his sentence, again.

"No, no, not at all." She said in a tone that Rory instantly recognised.

"I see. He doesn't notice, does he? Don't be fooled, though. He's very selective of the people he spends his time with. He likes you. Maybe not in the way that you like him, but it shows."

"So... I should just... See how things play out?"

"Do whatever you think is right." Rory concluded.

* * *

Back at the flat, the doctor decided against trying to cook after what happened last time. He thought maybe he'd order a chinese. Clara loved chinese food. Or maybe he could take her out to say thank you...

Why were all of his dinner ideas revolving around Clara? Part of him had figured out that she had feelings for him, and didn't want to hurt them. But another part of him reciprocated those feelings in a strange way...

He shook this off and told himself he'd discuss dinner with Clara when she got back.

* * *

Rory picked up his phone and dialled Amy's number.

"Hi, Amy, it's me. I picked up the book. Clara came with me, i've dropped her off. Now listen, John is definitely right about Clara's feelings towards him. I need to ask you something."

He hesitated as Amy spoke.

"Ok. Listen closely."


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry about this chapter taking so long, but as I'm sure some of you know, uploading new documents was near impossible recently due to a problem with the document manager. I know the story between Clara and the doctor is slowly developing, but i find that it adds more room for speculation. Please leave your reviews, and any criticisms that you have are greatly appreciated!**

* * *

It had been two days since Clara had met the doctor's friend Rory, who also happened to be the husband of her favourite author, Amelia Williams. Today was Saturday, the day they had all arranged to have dinner at Rory and Amy's house. Despite nerves about a proper meeting with the doctor's friends, she was mostly excited to meet Amy.

As The Doctor walked into the living room, he and Clara were both taken aback by their clothing. First of all, the doctor was wearing something different. It occurred to Clara that she had only ever seen him in one outfit. He was wearing a waist-length tweed jacket instead of his usual knee-length purple one, as well as ditching his waistcoat and changing his bow-tie to a red one.

The Doctor was surprised by Clara's attire, as he expected her to wear something a lot more... Feminine. Like a dress, or something along those lines. He always had Clara figured for a girly girl, but now it seemed otherwise. She hadn't put too much effort in, opting for a casual outfit of a black skirt with a red blouse. He was glad that she hadn't taken forever to get ready like girls he'd known in the past...

"You're wearing... Tweed." She observed.

"I am."

"And another bow-tie."

"Correct."

"Do you never get tired or dressing like a nutter?"

"Never."

The Doctor helped Clara up and handed over her crutches, and they went outside to wait for their taxi.

* * *

A sudden wave of nerves washed over Clara. She was about to meet Amelia Williams. What would she say to her?

She didn't have long to ponder on this before John knocked on the door excitedly and they heard a Scottish voice yelling something that sounded like 'Rory!'.

Rory answered the door with a clear look of relief on his face.

"Hi doctor, Clara!" He beamed, allowing them in.

The doctor frowned when he stepped inside.

"Oh, you've redecorated?"

Rory nodded.

"I don't like it..." finished the doctor.

He instantly regretted saying that when a fiery haired woman popped her head out from the kitchen. For a moment he was worried that she had heard him, but she just smiled.

"I'll be there in a minute, just... Get them drinks, rosy." Commanded Amy.

As the doctor and Clara took their seats, they heard an array of colourful swear words radiating from the kitchen. Clara took a deep breath.

"You OK, Clara?" Asked the doctor.

"That's Amelia Williams. I'm in Amelia Williams' house..."

"Bit of a fan-girl, are you?"

"I...No, I just...Yes, absolutely."

Just then, Amy and Rory marched in, performing some odd kind of communication to each other with their hands.

"Hello, sorry! I was trying to keep the house from burning down. Clara, right? I'm Amy." Amy Beamed.

"Yes, um... Nice to meet you!"

The two shook hands as they were introduced, and Clara tried to start a conversation by saying something that she instantly regretted.

"Amy, I love your books. When did you first start writing?"

"Thanks! Um, let's see... Well, we moved to new York for a while a few years back. I got a job writing for a newspaper. I hated writing about real events, though. Well, I say real... Of course most of the newspaper was fiction, but I wanted to write simple old fiction. I started on my first book while I was there, and one of John's friends is a publisher, so he helped me out."

"Why did you move to new York?" Clara asked.

Rory answered. "I found an excellent medical course there, and we'd both wanted to travel there at some point. In the end, we found that we missed our friends and family, so we came back."

Amy jolted up. "Food should be ready. You like lasagne, Clara?"

* * *

As they were eating, Clara didn't really contribute to the conversation much, mostly out of nerves. After they had finished the lasagne, Amy winked at rory and their plan was in action.

"Doctor, I need a second opinion on something." Rory Began. "Work related, should only take about ten minutes. I have a file in the study, would you mind helping me out with it?"

"Sure. Sorry girls, be back soon."

With that, Clara and Amy were left at the table, just as she had planned. When The Doctor was safely out of earshot, Amy looked up at Clara.

"So Clara, are you and the doctor seeing each other?"

"Oh, god, no. Well... No, we're just friends."

"And within a very short amount of time, you've moved in with him? I can see it in you both, clara. Clear as day. There's something there, and you need to claim it before it's too late."

Clara looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"He likes you. Trust me, He wouldn't have accepted you as his flatmate if he didn't. It usually takes him a while to trust people, but he talks about you all the time. And i'd take a bet that you're only this quiet because you don't want to say the wrong thing and get off on the wrong foot with his friends."

"You... You really figured all that out from seeing us together for 20 minutes?"

Clara was blushing like a tomato now. She expected Amy to either tease her or shout at her, but when their eyes met, she saw only sadness.

"Please Don't hurt him, Clara. He's been through a lot these last few years. Whatever you do, please... Don't make him think you don't care about him."

Her words carried genuine desperation, and Clara picked up her message clearly. If they didn't speak soon, The Doctor could get the idea that she doesn't love him. She didn't want to hurt him, but even after what Amy had said she couldn't be sure that he felt like that.

"I'll speak to him. Soon. I promise."

* * *

As the Doctor and Clara once again got in a taxi, All She could think about was her conversation with amy. She didn't have the courage to tell him how she felt, and it was clear that he didn't either. She opted to slowly get closer to him to test the water... What she didn't know was that rory and the doctor hadn't discussed work at all, but in fact having a similar conversation. They both thought up the exact same strategy as they left.


	8. Chapter 8

**Another short chapter, i'm sorry. A big revelation at the end, and a couple of new characters introduced. Please, PLEASE leave reviews, it really helps me if you tell me how to improve my writing.**

* * *

Despite Amy and Rory's intervention, two weeks passed before any major development between Clara and The Doctor.

Clara had insisted on going back to work early, And John knew better than to argue with her. John was still saving up money for a new car, so they got the bus to the school. She was happy to be out of the house and have something to do.

"Oh, Clara, I forgot to tell you. Mr. Finch is on permanent medical leave, they say he's no longer fit to work. We have a new Head, you should meet her at lunch."

"What's her name?"

"I think it's someone from the school board... She came in with a couple of new staff members."

* * *

Clara was glad that the school had invested in Elevators for disabled children and lazy teachers. Of course, Clara didn't qualify as either of these, but it beat trying to go up the stairs with crutches. Eventually she arrived back at her familiar room. She looked up at the door, marked 'ENGLISH S25' but as she entered she saw an unfamiliar woman loitering around the windows. When she heard the door open, she turned around and smiled warmly.

"Hello! Clara Oswald, correct? I'm Jenny Flint, the new Deputy Head."

"Oh, yes, The Doctor mentioned some new leadership..."

"Well, funnily enough we met The Doctor at a staff meeting. Before we came here we used to be on the school board. We've been friends for a while."

Clara was confused. "Really? When he told me it was as if he had no idea who you were..."

"He probably just didn't know it was us. Maybe we'll surprise him at lunch time... Anyway, I just came to make sure you got here in one piece. The lifts are a nightmare. Anyway, you have a lesson to plan, and Vastra is waiting for me at the office, so I'll get out of your hair."

As Jenny left to go back to the office, Clara was glad that the new leadership didn't seem totally boring. But why would she come to her classroom? She waved it off as random kindness and prepared her lesson.

* * *

Clara was more than tired of children providing fake sympathies to her, but now she had a free period. Excellent, half an hour of doing nothing. She really needed to ask about the timetables. As her class left and she packed away her things, she heard a light rap on the door before it opened and The Doctor poked his head through.

"How's being up and about treating you, Clara?"

"Well, as long as I keep my foot off of the ground, it's mostly fine... So, did you find out who the new leadership team are?"

"Ah, yes, you'll never believe this, they're m-"

"Yes, I know, I met jenny this morning. I've been wondering, why did they replace so many people when only Mr. Finch left?"

"Well, we have a different system for leadership here. Each new head appoints their own admin staff, and when a new head is appointed, they are replaced."

Clara frowned. "That must make it a lot harder to find a head..."

"Well, you know how stupid the school board are. Now, I just dropped in on my way to teach a health class. I'll come around later."

* * *

Clara ultimately decided to spend her free period in the staff room. When she walked in she instantly saw one of the history teachers, Jack Harkness, flirting with three people at once. As Clara walked in, it quickly became four. However, she was too focused on something else to notice what he was saying. She was thinking about Jenny coming to her room in the morning, and the doctor's visit. It made her think that maybe he was... checking up on her. As if he was worried. She began to think that what Amy had told her was true. She felt a pressing need to follow the advice given to her. She was definitely starting to develop feelings for him, and adding everything up, it seemed like that went two ways. She felt like they hadn't developed their relationship at all since they met, and still knew little about each other. She faced the facts in her mind. There was no doubt. She had fallen in love with The Doctor.


	9. Chapter 9

**Right, three things. One, I'm sorry that this took so long to get out, i lost the spark for writing for a long time. B, i..wait, no... Two, sorry that the story develops so fast here, But in the one experience of a relationship I've had, it happened exactly like this. Three, Or C, Or that little 'III' that they use in footnotes, i find it a lot easier to write in shorter chapters, so sorry about the length if it isn't ideal for you. The next chapter will be difficult for me to write, so bear with me. I am NOT cancelling this story, and if i ever do, you'll know.**

* * *

Within only a week of Clara's return to work, the half term holidays had arrived. In the weekend before, she and The Doctor had both decided to put off their work for a couple of days so that they could relax. Clara had suggested using the first day to, as she described it in her elegant way, 'Get bladdered and watch crap films'. In all honesty Clara was just hoping that she could get drunk enough to muster up the courage to speak to the doctor about one of her recent...revelations. Even though neither of them drank very often, they were both keen to give being drunk a try, seeing as there was nothing at risk.

They had agreed that watching The Sound of Music while intoxicated seemed like a brilliant idea, as they could add to the fun by irritating the neighbours with their singing. They were already reasonably drunk before they began the film, but conversation had not yet reached the topic that Clara was aiming for. Clara intended to fix that, and she knew just how.

"Doctor," She began, "A few times you've mentioned someone called river... Amy mentioned her too. Who was River?"

The Doctor instantly froze at the unexpected question.

"She was...An old friend of mine."

"What, like an ex?"

"Yes, an ex..."

Exactly as she expected. She had a clear view of where to proceed now, but she did not want to hurt his feelings. She had to tread carefully.

"You seem sad... What happened?"

The Doctor didn't enjoy this particular topic, but there was something about Clara that awakened trust in him.

"She's dead." He said bluntly.

This time it was Clara's turn to be shocked. Had she already ruined their night?

The Doctor continued regardless.

"She was an archaeologist, and she went on a trip to some kind of ancient structure. A Roman library, I believe. Well, to put it simply, the foundations weren't exactly stable, so the occasional heavy rock dropped inside..."

Clara was shocked by how matter-of-factly he said this.

"I'm sorry..." She whispered

"What for?

"For bringing it up. For making you have to remember and speak about it."

"Don't worry about it. It was a long time ago."

Clara hesitated before moving forwards.

"Have you had anybody else since then?

"No, I haven't really been good with handling emotions in the past."

Clara felt like the changes of him feeling the same as her were significantly reduced. Nevertheless, she continued.

"I know what you mean. Promise you won't laugh, but I've only had one relationship in my lifetime, and that only lasted a couple of months."

"Why would I laugh?"

"Well, it's not a very impressive record..."

"It doesn't matter. You're still young, Clara."

"Or maybe I'm just not easy to tolerate."

That was it. She knew exactly what would happen now, and her butterflies multiplied.

"Oh, come on, don't say that. I'm sure there's some lucky bloke out there just waiting for you. I felt the same as you a while back, but as I said, we're still young with a lot ahead of us."

"You really think there's someone for me?"

The Doctor smiled and nodded.

By this point, both the doctor and Clara were too drunk to think straight. However, it was the doctor that proved this. After quick consideration of her reaction to his words, he quickly leaned in and gave Clara a light peck on the lips. As he backed away, he looked for clara's reaction, momentarily fearing that he had upset her. This thought was crushed when she returned a much more passionate kiss, catching him off-guard. If he was sober, he would have flailed and probably fallen over the edge of the sofa, but he instead placed his hands on clara's shoulders and deepened the kiss. Despite the high amount of alcohol in both of their systems, it felt like they were both thinking straight for this one moment, and neither of them wanted it to end. Naturally it did, as human lung capacity only goes so far. The Doctor rested his forehead against clara's and muttered a single word.

"Definitely."

It was simple, but it was enough to sum up the situation they were in. Nothing else had to be said on the matter. They decided that they could speak seriously in the morning when they were sure they were thinking clearly. They leaned into each-other, and the last thing The Doctor could remember was Clara singing at the top of her voice about her favourite things.


End file.
